Mrs. MacDuff reached out and grabbed Mrs. MacCabe’s hand. “Dinnae leave me.” Terror was reflected in the frightened mother’s eyes.
“Calm yerself, lass. I’m only going to the kitchen to speak with Mistress Sterling and fetch more cloths. Plus, yer husband will be wanting news.” Mrs. MacCabe patted her hand and took Katie by the arm to walk her to the kitchen.
The young mother licked her lips and nodded.
“There is a bit of a problem, mistress.” They had barely made it to the kitchen when Mrs. MacCabe’s whispered words stopped Katie in her tracks.
“What’s the problem?”
“The babe is not in the right position.”
That was always a problem, and one midwives never wanted to hear, although it did happen more frequently than they would have liked. “Have ye tried turning the bairn?”
“Aye. I had the lass change positions, and did some massages, but nothing has worked so far.”
“She seems to have a while to go. When did her pains start?”
“Mr. MacDuff came to me not a half hour after ye left this afternoon. He said Freya had been feeling poorly since the middle of the night. When I first arrived, her waters hadn’t yet broken, but they have since then.”
“That’s good and will hurry the birth. But we need to do more about turning the bairn.” Katie crossed her arms over her chest and leaned against the small wooden table in the kitchen and looked at Mrs. MacCabe. “Have ye ever delivered a breech birth?”
“Aye. Many times. But not all of them ended happily.” Mrs. MacCabe shook her head.
“I’ve seen one. The bairn survived but we lost the mother.” Katie tapped her chin with her finger tip. “Do ye have a birthing chair?”
“Nay. Never seen one, though I’ve heard of them.”
“I have one back at the castle. I will ask the laird to fetch it for us. Also, I found having other women around to take the mother’s mind off her pain helps. Who are Mrs. MacDuff’s friends? Does she have family?”
“Aye. Her sister and mother both live together, but not on MacDuff land. The sister is married to a McClung in Galway, in the extreme southwest. The lass sent a message to her mother a few months ago, but the woman wrote back that the daughter she lives with couldn’t do without her help for her to come here.”
Not being a mother herself, Katie couldn’t imagine not traveling to another daughter who was having her first bairn. No matter how much the sister needed help, it seemed selfish to ask the mother to stay.
“I will ask the laird to fetch the birthing chair. And give Mr. MacDuff a few comforting words.” Katie left to do so, and Mrs. MacCabe returned to the bedroom with a clean cloth to wipe Freya down.
“How is she?” Mr. MacDuff asked the minute Katie cleared the front door.
“She is fine. The babe is not in the best position, but I’m sure all will be well.” She gave him what she hoped was an encouraging smile.
Mr. MacDuff looked over at Evan, his eyes wide. “What does that mean? Not in the best position?”
She admitted to being a bit surprised that Mr. MacDuff didn’t ken what not being in the right position meant. Most likely in his fear for his wife, all logical thought left his brain.
Evan looked to Katie, trying his best to hide his smile at the young man asking him. “I’m not a father myself, but I imagine it’s like a baby lamb or colt. Ye ken how sometimes ye need to reach in there and turn it?”
When the young man went milk-white pale, Katie patted his arm. “’Twill be fine. Dinnae fash yerself.” She turned to Evan. “I need my birthing chair. ’Tis among my belongings that were put in my bedchamber. Can ye fetch it for me?”
“I dinnae want to leave ye here. That was why I came with ye.” Evan placed his hands on his hips. “Does Meggie know where the birthing chair is?”
“Aye.”
“Good.” He looked over at Mr. MacDuff. “Go on up to the castle. Ask for Meggie and tell her Mistress Stirling needs the birthing chair.”
Katie reached out her hand to stop him. “When ye return, call on some of yer wife’s friends, and ask them to come and visit with her.”
“Is that a good idea?”
“A verra good idea,” Katie said. “They will help distract yer wife from the pain, and they will help with taking care of the new babe and seeing that ye have food for the next few days.”